Summer Time Is Here - Smoke the Anejo #50 (Robusto)

1 Cigar You've Gotta Smoke (a compilation of my last month of smoking)
Spring is just about over and if you haven't enjoyed some outdoor smokin' I suggest you get a few stogies in before the heat is too much to handle.  I haven't touched my blog in a few weeks because my laptop had a bad powerjack.  A few Youtube searches and 2 Amazon orders later, I've learned how to disassemble my laptop and change out a powerjack.  As lame as it sounds, I felt a little bit like Batman avoiding a $300 repair bill. 
But enough of my amateur CPU tech skills; I've taken a bunch of pictures and tons of notes on new cigars I've smoked while my laptop has been out of service.  I planned on writing some reviews, but instead I'm going to tell you about a single cigar that amazed me.  This cigar is one of my new favorites, and even more importantly....this cigar was absolutely unbelievable.

Photo credit - tgdennis1971 from Puff.com

Check out what I have to say about the Anejo #50 - click link below

Fuente - Anejo #49

Fuente - Anejo #49
This was my first Anejo and I've got to thank my smoking buddy Ben from Cross Street Tobacco in Baltimore for this cigar.  I've heard a lot of great things about Anejos and a lot of trusted friends have recommended them.  But personally, I've steered clear because of the price, availability and my feelings about the Fuente brand.

The #49 gets its name from the ring gauge which is - you guessed it - 49.  The cigar is a long one - measuring 7 5/8"'.  The Anejo is wrapped with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro; at some point these wrapper leaves are fermented in cognac barrels.  The binder is of Dominican origin, and while a cognac-aged broadleaf is pretty damn cool - the filler may be the most interesting aspect of the cigars composition.  There are varying reports on the filler's make up; but most reliable sources say its a mixture of Don Carlos, Hemingway and Opus X filler tobacco. 

Disclaimer: I absolutely love the Opus X line and do not include that line in analysis I'm about to .
                    To read about the Fuente Opus X click HERE (Opus X Review)
                    To skip my rant on Fuente click to the next page
I've found Fuentes are well-made cigars that have good, consistent flavors.  But every Fuente I've smoked has been 'pretty-good'.  Not amazing, not memorable, not to die for...just "that was a well-made cigar that had some good flavor."  What they lack.......complexity.  It seems they keep all that tobacco for the Opus X line.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Fuente.  They make cigars well and are good at what they do.  But I've smoked a variety of lines and sizes and I always walk away with the same feeling - hell, most of them taste the same. 

Arturo Fuente - Hemingway Classic - Natural

Hemingway Classic - Natural
Debuted in 1983, the Hemingway Collection has been the cornerstone of Arturo Fuente's cigar business for years.  Known for consistent quality and a famous flavor profile, the series pays homage to the famous author for whom the cigar gets its name from - a man that smoked Fuentes regularly.  This cigar is a classic.  No surprise that it is named The Classic, it is arguable that no non-cuban cigar has more tradition and success than the Hemingway Classic. 
The Classic is a beautiful perfecto vitola, measuring 7" x 48 ring.  Rolled to perfection, with virtually no flaws on the delicate Cameroon wrapper leaf  - it is no wonder that Cigar Aficianado listed the Hemingway Classic as their #7 cigar of the year for 2009.  Proving the cigar's timeless taste and quality.  The Classic is bound and filled with Dominican tobacco.
I've smoked Hemingway's before, but never a Classic - this is a beautifully presented cigar and I'm excited to light it up.

Fuente - Opus X - No. 5

Arturo Fuente - Opus X - The flagship of the Fuente line, the Opus X is hailed as a classic smoke by the cigar community.  With some vitolas receiving as high as a '94' rating by Cigar Aficianado, this is one of those cigars that every smoker has to try at some point.  Thought of as a powerhouse smoke, these cigars are not always an easy find in a lot of markets. 
Wrapped, bound and filled with the finest Dominican tobaccos from the Fuente's fabled Chateau de la Fuente, these cigars are a potrait of the tradition and experience of the Fuente brand.